Entertainment options for teenagers are limited

BRITTANY EDMOUNDSON

Published 6:00 pm, Tuesday, January 15, 2008

I can't go to Market Street due to my opposition to its after 7 p.m. seventeen and older rule. I can't go to a park because they are closed at night. I can't sit with my friends in a shopping center without a security guard questioning why we are there. Although many residents of The Woodlands move here to take advantage of its wholesome, family-friendly atmosphere, there is a hole in the system-teenagers. Where are my friends and I supposed to go?

All teenagers need time with their peers without their parents peering in on them every other minute. It's essential to social development that adolescents learn to interact with others independently of parental supervision. However, in The Woodlands, there are few places outside of the home for teenagers to just hang out on the weekend.

The common argument against unsupervised teenagers is that they will engage in illegal activities if they aren't monitored. Although some teenagers do engage in these behaviors, the rest of us shouldn't be punished for it. Not all of us deal drugs, steal clothes or sneak into movies. Sometimes, all of us are treated like we do, though.

Why does society see a group of teenagers and immediately assume we are up to no good? Maybe it is the way we dress, the language we use or our attitudes. Regardless of what causes the teenager stereotype, all teenagers feel the negative effects of it. Due to the assumption that all teenagers fit the stereotype, some places in The Woodlands restrict access for teenagers and even pre-teens. I understand the concern that groups of aimless teens standing around looks suspicious, but it has gotten to the point that, in The Woodlands, teenagers are not wanted nor welcomed in certain places. If the community doesn't want us in public, then we revert to house parties and stereotypical, dangerous teenage behavior.

The best way to cure teenage boredom in The Woodlands would be to design areas suited especially for teenagers. Places that we could go to hang out with our friends without bothering other members of the community. The Woodlands continues to develop and grow, and it should provide a wider array of entertainment. Right now I have to drive into Houston to see most independent films, eat at non-chain restaurants and find places to just hang out and talk with my friends.

Also, teenagers should feel welcome anywhere in their hometown. Society needs to think past the stereotype and see each of us as individuals instead of a mob of rebels. Although there will be problems with drugs and alcohol in any social group, restricting our access to public places, whether through rules or implied contempt, only makes it more likely that teenagers will turn toward rebellious behavior. If our community wants teenagers to act as responsible people, then it should treat them as responsible people and respect their right to gather just as adults do.

Most importantly, our community needs to address dangerous teenage behavior courageously so that we recognize the consequences of our actions. Without rectifying current behavior and by simply ignoring it, all teenagers suffer and those involved in dangerous behavior don't receive guidance. If this behavior were addressed, then maybe the stereotype would fade as the majority acted responsibly. Our community needs to have the courage to confront teenage problems, as well as unfair rules and attitudes toward the teenage age group. The whole community would benefit and, hopefully, trust could build between adults and teenagers. That way all age groups could enjoy public places in The Woodlands without feeling threatened or disregarded.